Chapter 18 : Crossroads

I turned around and saw Elijah standing behind me. " how are you man , "

" Well I'm fine just tired"

Elijah pulled out a chair and sat beside me. " so did you meet the teachers?"

" Sure did ."

" That's great , I'm sure you'll soon be 100% integrated into university life. "

" What do you mean?"

He replied" well, studying, clubs, parties, romance, anyway, let me ask you a question James . "

" Shoot what's in your mind "

 " What did you came to nortale for ? "

I stuttered in my response. " oh, uh..... It's a weird question....."

I pondered for a moment before answering . " I'm an athlete . If I take something on, it's to be the best. "

Elijah smiled and said " that's the spirit. You remind me of someone. Is that Samantha's influence, by any chance ?"

I laughed " hehehe, not really. But we were raised the same way "

" Oh, I see . So anyway, what I'm asking is ... I got some business on the side . I could use someone like you "

I responded, bewildered." like me ? "

" Yes, most people don't care about themselves. You want to be the best. I respect that in y... "

I interrupted him firmly, saying, " Drop your riddles . What's the deal? "

He answered" you see, everything in nortale Is fine . Except a couple of overly strict rules. Many of the things forbidden in the academy can be very useful and pleasant. "

" What are you taking about ? "

He approached my ear and began whispering. " well, you know... A little doping to get things done. Or the opposite, to relax and take your time. "

I stopped hik and asked. " Are you talking about something illegal? "

He answered " Come on, of course not. In some states and countries it's legal. In others not so much. If people's average IQ wasn't around 70 . No one would be banning these things. "

I responded mockingly. "Ohh, you think? "

" Sure , there's a limit to everything. You can die from too much coffee. And if you start the Hungarian dragon fireworks without reading the instructions.... It's a lot easier to die. "

" Well, we're not talking about fireworks.."

" Why not? It's one of my offers. I got all kinds of stuff. Depending on who it's for and what it's for. Some orders I can't handle on my own. 

Especially now that I have responsibilities of a house advisor. So the most important question. Are you with me? "

I was puzzled. " I don't know. Um... I need to think about it. "

" Okay , I understand. It's not an emergency, usually everyone brings ' stuff' with them after the summer. 

They come to me afterwards. Or when they're planning a party. I'm telling you , there are perks to this business. "

" Like the risk of being expelled? "

" Nonsense, Arthur's too kind-hearted. I got caught with a live dragon once . The boys at crowhive wanted to breed it and tame it so that ...

It doesn't matter. The point is the oldest I've never been expelled. As you can see , it didn't even stop me from becoming perfect. "

" All right, all right. You sound convincing. But I still have to think about it . "

" When you decide, you know where to find me. Just don't talk about it in the campus. I don't want anyone to accidentally left overhear us. "

" Okay understood, see you later, Elijah , I'm leaving "

" See ya , James " 

Leaving the cafe, I strolled towards the campus, immersed in thoughts about Elijah's peculiar proposal. My steps guided me to the inner garden, where something by the fountain caught my attention – a book. Upon closer examination, I realized it could be a wonderful surprise for Amelie, potentially earning me some extra points. 

However, I decided to leave that for the morning as fatigue overwhelmed me. I retraced my steps to the house and, once inside, headed straight to my room. After changing clothes, I collapsed onto the bed, succumbing to the embrace of sleep.

I woke up, changed my clothes, and descended the stairs to find the house empty – perhaps everyone had gone to classes. As for me, I needed to visit the library to return the book I had found yesterday before heading to my class. 

I walked to the library, entered, and spotted Amelie at her desk reading in a book. I Approached her, I said, 

" Hey Amelie. Remember you were talking about the lost folios? "

She replied " yes , textbooks are scattered over the academy, it's a tragedy. "

" I think I found something like that. "

I took the book and gave it to her. " here take a look."

She quickly took the book from my hand and opened it. " let me see that . "

Her eyes lit up with joy, and she said," This is definitely a book from our library. Excellent work, James . I'll give you points . As promised. I reward you for all the books you find. "

" The main reward is hearing your satisfied voice" but i won't refuse points either. " And to know that priceless books are in safe hands. "

Amelie blushed " it's nice to see a like-minded man . There are few lovers of literature among the young these days. "

What else to do while confined to bed with a fracture. " I'm very concerned about the fate of the academy textbooks. So I'll try to find some more. "

" Great , by the way, James. You don't have to carry textbooks one at a time. You can collect several and bring them at once. If it's more convenient to you ."

 I replied" that's fine. I'll be sure to stop by if I find another textbook. "

" I'll look forward to it , "

" Anyway I have class now , see you Amelie . "

That's wonderful. I returned the book, and Amelie was happy. I earned some points for the house. Now, I have to hurry not to be late for Victoria's class.